ANYTHING L.A. LIBERAL MAGAZINE: FAKE NEWS-FREE, FORWARD THINKING, SOCIALLY SENSITIVE AND CLIMATE CHANGE AWARE. The world maybe in a flux, our Country may have lost its way, Los Angeles continues being true to American / Californian values.

City Delivers for River with purchase of G2 Parcel

Unanimous City Council vote marks major milestone in extraordinary plan to revitalize the L.A. River.

Mayor Eric Garcetti commended the Los Angeles City Council for a unanimous vote to approve the purchase of 42 acres of property at the center of plans to revitalize the Los Angeles River. The G2 parcel is the final remnant of the 250-acre Taylor Yard owned by Union Pacific Railroad.

“This riverfront parcel is the crown jewel in our plan to enliven the Los Angeles River so that Angelenos can reclaim access to its natural wonder and rich history,” said Mayor Garcetti. “I made the acquisition of this site a top priority, because it will create much-needed public open space in the middle of the city, provide extensive habitat restoration, and serve as a key access point for local communities to connect to the river. I’m grateful to the City Council for their visionary approach and spirit of collaboration in getting this done for the people of Los Angeles.”

Taylor Yard is on the east bank of the L.A. River, north of Downtown in the community of Cypress Park. The surrounding parcels at Taylor Yard have already been developed into Rio de Los Angeles State Park, the Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies, and the Taylor Yard Transit Village. The G2 parcel will connect Rio de Los Angeles State Park with the Bowtie parcel, another State Park site — opening up more than one mile of direct riverfront access. Mayor Garcetti worked closely with State Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León to secure $25 million in state funding toward the City’s purchase and development of the G2 parcel.

With today’s Council vote, the City will move forward to allocate nearly $60 million.

“My colleagues and I were relentless in making sure the City negotiated a fiscally responsible purchase and sales agreement to acquire the Taylor Yard G2 site,” said Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. “The Council action today will enable the public to control the largest available piece of property along our Los Angeles River. Parcel G2 is a keystone for habitat restoration identified in our Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. I commend the members of my Arts, Parks, and L.A. River Committee, the Chief Legislative Analyst, the City Administrative Officer, the City Attorney’s office, and the Bureau of Engineering for their sound collaboration in getting us to this critical point.”

The G2 parcel is prioritized in both the City’s Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration project, which was approved by the U.S. Congress in 2016. Because of its size and location along a soft-bottomed stretch of the river, G2 can help restore riparian habitat, while also providing expansive new public views into Downtown and to the iconic Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign landmarks.

“It has been a process to secure the G2 site in Council District 1, but we are finally at the finish line,” said Councilmember Gil Cedillo. “Acquiring the G2 parcel is the most integral part of the L.A. River Revitalization Master Plan, for it is the only direct access point to the river from the communities I represent. This a huge win for NELA and the beginning of the future for the L.A. River as we imagine it.”

Escrow is expected to close by March 1, 2017. The City will then begin planning for beneficial public site use and site remediation in coordination with the State’s Department of Toxic Substances Control.

“Today’s action is an important piece of the greater puzzle that will eventually result in a fully renewed and revitalized L.A. River winding through our city,” said Councilmember and Budget and Finance Committee Chair Paul Krekorian. “This parcel will give Angelenos acres of additional green space in the basin and complement the great work we’re doing to improve river access in the San Fernando Valley.”

“As an active member of both the River and Budget committees, I am proud that we took this huge step,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “For more than 20 years, starting with my days working for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, I have been trying to help transform the L.A. river from merely a flood control channel into a linear greenway and river park. Progress on that vision has been steady, but this purchase represents a quantum jump.”

The OurcycleLA program works to provide thousands of computers formerly used by the City to low-income families for free while also minimizing the city’s electronic waste footprint. The project is possible due to the leadership of Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. and Councilmember Bob Blumenfield as well as Ted Ross, General Manager of the Information Technology Agency (ITA) and Tony Royster, General Manager of the General Services Department.

Councilman Blumenfield hosted a event on October 1 to give out these free refurbished computers and WiFi hotspot devices to 85 students from low-income families in Reseda. ITA’s GM Ted Ross and the GSD’s GM Tony Royster were also present to assist and show support throughout the event.

About OurCycleLA

Under the leadership of the Offices of the Mayor and City Council, the City of Los Angeles has implemented the OurCycleLA program to take advantage of the thousands of salvage computers from the City. The goals of the program are to maximize the use of the computers, provide job training and employment for individuals with high barriers to employment, minimize the City’s electronic waste footprint, and help bridge the digital divide in Los Angeles. The limited supply of free refurbished computers will be distributed to low-income individuals or families in Baldwin Village and Koreatown.

OurCycle LA Processing FacilityQualified participants will be required to attend a digital literacy training program and sign up for low cost internet services. The refurbished computers will also be distributed to non-profit organizations throughout the City that operate public access computer centers serving disadvantaged communities.

OurCycle LA is a collaborative public private partnership between the City, non-profits, social enterprises and large corporate partners. The program was launched February 27, 2015. These computers and the required training will help participants take advantage of available technology, as well as additional digital and financial training. OurCycle LA is also providing job training and career opportunities for individuals with traditionally high barriers to employment – as well as creating local jobs.

Computer LabLonger-term, the City is working to create partnerships with businesses interested in donating computers and other technology they will no longer be using. OurCycle LA will help develop a model for future treatment of the City’s electronic waste that will benefit low-income Angelinos, the environment, the local economy, and help develop the e-waste recycling sector in Los Angeles.

THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES AND THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION PRESENT THE OSCAR® CONCERT One-Night-Only Celebration of the History of Film Music in Honor of the 90th Oscars® Wednesday, February 28, at 8:00 PM Walt Disney Concert Hall The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Los [...]...

CENTER THEATRE GROUP HOSTS FREE COLLEGE & CAREER FAIR FOR THE ARTS MARCH 17 Workshops and More Offered to High School Students Center Theatre Group invites current high school students, parents and teachers to attend the third annual College & Career Fair for the Arts on March 17, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to [...]...

ACADEMY’S OSCAR® WEEK EVENTS CELEBRATE THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES In the week leading up to the 90th Oscars®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original [...]...

Saj Bakery is owned end operated by a Lebanese family. The Mediterranean cuisine is Iranian with a Lebanese twist. All food is lovingly prepared from fresh ingredients Saj bread is baked fresh every morning. Saj Bakery’s delicious Manakeesh (Lebanese hot sandwiches) are all natural and baked to order. Beef or Chicken Shawarma is of the [...]...

Valley Palms Care Center treats each patient individually, providing a rehabilitative program that meets their needs. Residents are provided care and services in a comfortable, family-centered environment. Valley Palms is a multi cultural facility. The dedicated staff speaks eight different languages, including Armenian, Russian, Farsi, Arabic, and Hebrew. Among the services provided by Valley Palms [...]...

Los Angeles Health

If menopause was just the end of female fertility there’d be menopause parties allover the place and millions of happy and healthy women celebrating, but it isn’t. Menopause signals also the acceleration of aging, the time when a woman’s body (her skin, muscles, bones, heart and more) begins to degenerate rapidly. As if all these [...]...

We are so used to modern conveniences provided by personal electronics including the smart phone, it’s often surprising that the same level of convenience isn’t available in more areas of life: like health care, for instance. We can watch movies, read books, translate from Latin to English and vice versa, ask any question, look up [...]...

Making the decision to enter a rehab is not easy. Whether you are looking at rehab facilities for yourself or for a loved one, it can be hard to decide which treatment center will provide the best results. Because there are so many different treatment facilities out there, it is important to know what to [...]...

Interview with Ms. Lisa Blaurock, the Founder and President of Affordable Allergy Testing Let’s start at the beginning: there are two main types of allergies and MANY types of food sensitivities. All of them are on the rise, affecting people of all ages from babies to the elderly and making their lives miserable. [...]...

Bicycling is HOT! Some cycle for fun. Some use a bicycle as an alternate mode of transportation to reduce their contribution to global warming. Most Angelenos caught the fever of CicLAvia. Bicycle sales are going through the roof in Los Angeles and nationwide! Cycling is good for you: it’s a low impact form of exercise [...]...